OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Gabbie Hughes scored the game winner with 4:06 remaining in the third period to lead Ottawa to a 4-2 win over New York on Wednesday night.

With the win, Ottawa — losers of seven of its last eight coming into the game — moved into fifth place in the standings and are just two points back of Boston for the fourth and final playoff spot.

Savannah Harmon, Fanni Garat-Gasparics and Lexie Adzija, with an empty-net goal, also scored for Ottawa. Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 24 shots.

Hughes scored the winner off her backhand from in close sending the 6,889 at TD Place to their feet.

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Chloe Aurard and Jaime Bourbonnais scored for New York, while Abigail Levy made 21 saves.

Trailing 2-1, Bourbonnais scored the equalizer for New York on the power play at 9:28 of the third. With an assist on the play Alex Carpenter, who leads the league in scoring, extended her point streak (5 goals, 3 assists) to six games.

Leading 1-0 to start the second Ottawa had a number of great chances to extend the lead, but Akane Shiga fanned on one chance and Adzija shot wide on another before Garat-Gasparics scored a jailbreak goal at 10:12 picking up her own rebound for her first point of the season.

New York cut the lead back to one after Zoe Boyd’s stick broke on a clearing attempt giving Aurard a clear shot.

Abby Roque was assessed a game misconduct as a result of a checking from behind penalty, but Ottawa was unable to capitalize on the five-minute player advantage.

Ottawa opened the scoring with an unconventional goal. Initially, it looked like the play was being whistled for a stoppage, but upon review Harmon’s shot to the short side had slipped behind Levy.

UP NEXT

New York: Hosts Minnesota on Sunday.

Ottawa: Hosts Toronto on Saturday.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports